With the mixer on low speed, add the wet ingredients slowly. Add coffee and chocolate mixture next. Mix just until combined. Over mixing will create tunnels and a peaked center while under mixing will result to an uneven mixture and a flat cake.

Divide the batter into 2 or 3 pans and bake right away.

Place them in the middle rack of the oven. Carefully space the pans for proper heat circulation. Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester (wooden toothpick) comes out almost clean. Work on the chocolate shards and frosting while cooling the cake.

For the chocolate shards

In a bowl, melt the chocolate pieces in the microwave for about a minute, in 30 second intervals. Stir until all pieces are completely melted. Pour on a parchment paper, approximately 12” x 16” in size. With an offset spatula, spread the melted chocolate thinly and evenly. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper of the same size. Roll and keeping it in place, refrigerate for at least half an hour or until it has firmed up. When ready to garnish, unroll and with an offset spatula, lift the pieces gently and decorate.

For the frosting

In a mixing bowl, place the chocolate pieces. Heat up the cream for about 2 minutes in the microwave. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and mix well. Refrigerate for about half an hour to cool before whipping.

Take out from the fridge and pour the contents in the bowl of the stand mixer, saving about a cup of the chocolate mixture for later.

On medium speed, whip for about 3 minutes until it starts to form medium peaks.

Spread on the cooled cake, either entirely covering the cake or leaving the sides unfrosted just like I did.

Heat up the remaining chocolate ganache in the microwave for about a minute. Pour over the frosted cake. With an offset spatula, work around the cake by spreading the ganache and slightly pushing off the edges to create that nice dripping effect.

Place the chocolate shards on the cake, however you prefer. Refrigerate for a few minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

With the mixer on low speed, add the wet ingredients slowly. Add coffee and chocolate mixture next. Mix just until combined. Over mixing will create tunnels and a peaked center while under mixing will result to an uneven mixture and a flat cake.

Divide the batter into 2 or 3 pans and bake right away. Place them in the middle rack of the oven. Carefully space the pans for proper heat circulation.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester (wooden toothpick) comes out almost clean. Work on the chocolate shards and frosting while cooling the cake.

For the frosting: In a mixing bowl, place the chocolate pieces. Heat up the cream for about 2 minutes in the microwave. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and mix well. Refrigerate for about half an hour to cool before whipping.

Take out from the fridge and pour the contents in the bowl of the stand mixer, saving about a cup of the chocolate mixture for later.

On medium speed, whip for about 3 minutes until it starts to form medium peaks.

Spread on the cooled cake, either entirely covering the cake or leaving the sides unfrosted.

Heat up the remaining chocolate ganache in the microwave for about a minute. Pour over the frosted cake. With an offset spatula, work around the cake by spreading the ganache and slightly pushing off the edges to create that nice dripping effect.

For the chocolate shards: In a bowl, melt the chocolate pieces in the microwave for about a minute, in 30 second intervals. Stir until all pieces are completely melted. Pour on a parchment paper, approximately 12” x 16” in size. With an offset spatula, spread the melted chocolate thinly and evenly. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper of the same size. Roll and keeping it in place, refrigerate for at least half an hour or until it has firmed up. When ready to garnish, unroll and with an offset spatula, lift the pieces gently and decorate.

Place the chocolate shards on the cake, however you prefer. Refrigerate for a few minutes before cutting.

Notes

This recipe has been updated. The amount of coffee (liquid) in the cake mixture was reduced in half to avoid making the cake crumbly.[br][br]If buttermilk is unavailable, you can make it by combining a scant cup of milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Leave for about 5 minutes or when until it starts to curdle.[br][br]You may either use three 6-inch or two 8-inch round cake pans. Using a 6-in cake pan will yield a towering cake. I leave the decision to you.[br][br]If you prefer not to go with the rustic or naked look, you may frost all around it.

Hello Marsha, the coffee brings out the chocolate and you won’t really taste it in the final product. However, if you really are opposed to adding coffee, try just substituting with water. Good luck! 😉

Hi, I made this cake 2 weeks ago and used 3, 7 inch pans. It was fun to make with your beautiful illustrations. It came out so delicious and pretty. I would like to send phone, how can I do this from here? ps, I could not find dutch cocoa in time, so had to use regular, but will make again with the dutch cocoa. Thanks again. I rate this 5 stars

Hi,
I made this cake this evening. I have been looking for a cake that will gv me this rich, dark color. Unfortunately, it did not produce this rich color. Not sure what I hv done incorrectly. Would u please share some insight.

Hi Cheryl, I am sorry to hear that. May i ask what brand or kind of cocoa powder you used? From my experience, using regular cocoa powder produced a deep brown color (not as pictured) while using Dutched cocoa processed (or a combination of both) gave me this darker hue.

I love everything about this post! The process shots, recipe, lighting….EVERYTHING! And I agree with you 100%. Baking IS doable. You just need to be patient 🙂 Can’t wait to try this incredible looking cake recipe!

I saw a picture of this cake on Facebook today, and all I could say was, “Oh. My. Gosh!”. Thanks for posting the recipe. It looks absolutely DELICIOUS! My problem is the heavy cream, since I’m lactose-intolerant, but I may just have to sit with a pack of Lactaid pills next to me. ;o)

Hi Diane! Have you tried using coconut milk instead? I’m thinking since it’s lactose-free, it can be a perfect alternative. You may not be able to whip the ganache but definitely can spread it on the cake just the way it is. I’m imagining it will give the cake an interestingly pleasant flavor too.

I have the same problem with lactose intolerance. I found a DELICIOUS recipe on Pinterest that is simple coconut oil and cocoa. I use it on my cheesecake. In sure it would be a great drizzle for this cake

Have a question….I would really love to make this cake but I have not seen the dutch=processed cocoa in our grocery stores. would it be ok to substitute with regular cocoa powder? Thanks for any response.

Hello there, Diane. Sorry it took me longer to respond. I actually have been using Hershey’s Special Dark which is readily available in most supermarkets, around me at least. But if you have had no luck finding it, you may substitute with regular cocoa powder. It may not taste exactly the same and the color will definitely not going to be this dark. Nevertheless, I have done this many times when I ran out and it worked just fine.

Wow. This is absolutely the best looking chocolate cake I’ve seen and I have done my research. ..ahem..Gorgeous, thank you. One thing – it looks almost like you used black cocoa powder, but the recipe doesn’t specify that – can you share which brand you used? I LOVE that dark color. Thanks!

Hi Tunie! Thank you so much for your kind words. This recipe calls for Dutch-processed cocoa powder. I have been using Hershey’s Special Dark (although is says on the packaging “a blend of natural and Dutched cocoa”). Hope this helps.

Hi Theresa, I made this cake and it was delicious although I didn’t have the Dutch processed cocoa. I was wondering if this recipe will work well for cupcakes or would I have to make adjustments to the measurements.
Kellie

That would be one cake I would really love to make and enjoy to eat, with a class of fresh cold milk. It seems complicated to make, but with following the instructions thoroughly using the right amount of ingredients it can be made correctly.

Hi Debbie, i believe bundt pans are made for dense cakes which this recipe isn’t. But if you do want to give it a try, i suggest lowering the temperature to 325 degrees and baking it longer like most bundt cake recipes require. You can probably start checking the doneness of the cake at 50 minutes into it. Good luck!

I just made this cake. Tastes great but 3/4 of the way thru baking the middle of both cakes fell. This is the 3rd time I’ve made it, followed the directions and I keep getting the same results. Any ideas?

Hi Kimmi, i’m sorry to hear that. How’s your oven temperature? I always rely on the thermometer I’ve placed inside of the oven to ensure accuracy. It’s also important not to open the oven door while it’s baking as it may cause the cake to fall. Other reasons I could think of could be expired baking soda or baking powder, overcrowding the pans or if you are at a higher altitude.

I just made this cake for my father’s 70th birthday and it was a BIG hit! His relatives were so impressed and he absolutely devoured it. I made 1 1/2 batch for a total of 3 8″ pans and then halved them into 6 thin layers. I used the whipped ganache recipe to fill it and by his request iced the entire outside in a light fluffy chocolate buttercream then poured the remaining ganache over the top and added those beautiful chocolate shards which were SO EASY for such an impressive effect. I mean WOWZA – it was a bit time consuming but it was stunning.

Hi Keisha! If you’re asking about the chocolate chip that I used, I usually go for semi-sweet typically labeled in the package as just that: semi-sweet chocolate. I hope I answered your question. Thank you.

Thank you for sharing. Love your food photography. So, I made this for Thanksgiving tomorrow and I think I did something wrong. My cakes stuck to the sides of the pans and then got stuck on the cooling racks. One fell apart when I transferred it the cake plate. Do you think I needed to bake it longer? The toothpick came out clean.

Hello Julie! I’m sorry to hear that and I wish I could have replied sooner. Regarding the cake sticking to the pan, did you grease the sides of the pan before pouring the batter in? I don’t think baking it longer would have solved it since the toothpick came out clean which means the cake is supposedly baked all the way through. Sticking on the rack or breaking apart when you lifted it may mean the cake has not cooled enough yet. Please also note that this cake is delicate and light compared to other chocolate cakes. I hope this helps. Thank you for your query and your kind words.

My brother requested this for his birthday as a sort of dare while I was still a fairly new baker. I made two 9″ layers, and it was wonderful, not to mention far easier to make than I expected. Despite how much chocolate there is in this recipe, it’s easy on the stomach and didn’t taste too rich to anyone but satisfied my brother’s chocolate obsession. Beautiful cake!

OMG!!! Had pinned this recipe a long time ago and had the opportunity to bake it last night, for a friend’s birthday. I have to say how amazed I am with the final result! The recipe is easy to follow and everyone loved it!! This is the best chocolate cake ever!!! Thanks for sharing with us!! 😀

This cake looked amazing and I knew right when I saw it that this was “the” chocolate cake for my brothers birthday! Well I can say that it was a hit! My family loved the cake! I topped my cake with an Oreo ganache made by folding in crushed Oreo pieces before pouring over the cake. My cake was delicate though and a piece came off that had been cracked earlier from transferring the cakes. I thought the sweetness was just right however I think the ganache and frosting added too much sugar. I also loved the richness of the chocolate due to the coffee. This was awesome thank you for sharing!

Thank you,thank you,THANK YOU!! I usually make my birthday cakes ( I am a pretty good cook/baker) and this cake said YES HAVE ME ON YOUR 35th!!! I will with white chocolate strawberries as an additional topper….
*drool*
😀

I tried reading through all of the comments and questions before posting mine, for the sake of not having to repeat yourself multiple times. I’m not familiar with what a “scant” cup of milk is. Does that mean 1 cup specifically making sure not to add anymore, or reducing it by 1 or 2 tea/tablespoons?
Absolutely gorgeous cake, by the way!

Since it was really cold out yesterday, I decided to recipe test for a chocolate cake I need to bake later in the week. I ran across the photo for this one and decided it needed to be included. WOW!! Am I ever glad your photos are beautiful!!! This is truly the best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten and I appreciate that it used ingredients I already had on hand. I didn’t decorate it because I just wanted to taste the cake but it looks to be very simple to duplicate your photo. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!!!

Fear not this daunting cake’s majestic image! Verily, it is far simpler than one imagines and results in a gorgeous cake that everyone will talk about – indeed, it did look impressive. My brother was gutsy enough to request it for his birthday, and I was apprehensive – but it turned out great as two 9″ layers. The most miraculous part is that it *was not rich* – it was very chocolate-y and tasty, but it didn’t threaten any stomachs!

I’m sorry for the very late response. How many square pans did you divide the batter into? If you did only two pans (making the batter more in each), I would understand the longer baking time. Otherwise, there should be other factors like oven temperature or the positioning of the pans in the oven.

Hi, Theresa! Just wanted to say I tried this cake for a friends birthday and it turned out amazing! Everyone was so impressed with the look and it was totally delicious. I also loved all your photos and step by step guidance. Thanks a bunch!

Theresa, have you ever used this recipe for cupcakes. It looks so amazingly moist, and I’m doing cupcakes for a work birthday. I would like to do it from scratch, and your recipe is the first I’ve seen that looks moist and oh so beautifully dark with chocolate.

Hi Jeannie! I do use this same recipe for my chocolate cupcakes. It yields about 24 standard size cupcakes. You will have to watch the baking time closely though. Start checking the cupcakes from 15 – 20 minutes of baking time to make sure you don’t dry over bake them. I hope this helps. Thanks and good luck! 🙂

I love any chocolate cake recipe that uses real chocolate and coffee! So I’ll definitely be giving this recipe a go real soon! I’ve been using brewed coffee in my brownies for a while too and it just does wonders for intensifying the chocolate flavour and I find it’s a really delicious way to add that much needed moisture to a chocolate cake!

Hi Ellen! I would say about half an hour. Taking it out too soon will cause it to fall apart. While waiting for too long will make it stick to the pan and harder to take out. When the pan is no longer warm to the touch, it should be okay. Greasing it properly beforehand will make a difference, too.

I baked this yesterday and for the first time I was very satisfied myself! Everybody loved it and it vanished in minutes! I know many have said this, yet I would like to say it again, One of the Best recipes I have come across! Thank you so much.. God Bless You 🙂

Hi there! I apologize for the super late response. Yes, that should be okay! I do the same thing – bake in two batches. You may need to stir the mixture again after letting it sit though. Thanks and good luck!

Got to the party late, but This is an Amazing looking cake. I love deep chocolate cake so much! Usually, I’m intimidated to try baking a cake that looks as elaborate as yours, but I’m gonna give it a go! Thanks for sharing!

My frosting never whipped up to form peaks. It just remained flat. I ended up whipping some cream and incorporating the flat chocolate mixture into the whipped cream. Any ideas why the original didn’t whip up?

Hi there, i’m sorry to hear that. How was the temperature of the ganache mixture? I would usually refrigerate it to cool quickly before whipping (makes a huge difference!). It whips up faster when it’s cold. Also, how long were you whipping for and what kind of chocolate did you put in? Thanks, I hope we can find out what went wrong.

Hi there! I honestly have not used sunflower oil. How is it? In this cake, you’ll want to use a neutral oil, or oil that has little to no flavor so it doesn’t affect the taste of the cake. From my research, sunflower oil has a light flavor but is also recommended for baking. So i say go ahead, this chocolate cake is chocolatey enough anyway.

This cake is stunning and has me intrigued. I have made the Chocolate Stout cake and it was amazing! Question: you show in your photos the cake in 3 layers, and you also mentioned that a cake made in 6″ pans will yield a towering cake. I like tall cakes (around 5-6″). Can you tell me approx. how tall a 3 layer 6″ cake will be? Drooling….

I am planning to make this cake in about a week and a half for a Wednesday evening birthday… time will be short after work…and this is officially the first cake that I have ever made that did not come out of a box. I am worried about my time constraints and would like to make before hand.

Should I:
A…Make this the night before and leave it sitting for the day….I don’t have a covered cake plate?
B…Make it the weekend before and freeze the naked cake and then frost on Wednesday afternoon?

Thank you so much…I am super excited to make, but a little freaked out at the same time 🙂

You can go ahead and bake the cake on the weekend as this takes time. Let it cool, cover completely with cling wrap, and freeze it. The day before (Tuesday morning), take it out and leave it to thaw (still covered) in the fridge. Then frost it later in the day (Tuesday night?). Let the frosting harden a little bit in the fridge for a few minutes before you completely cover (loosely) with cling wrap so it doesn’t get messy. I don’t have a covered cake plate either, so this should do. You may put the chocolate shards on the cake right before the party. The shards may be made days in advance (unroll and “reveal” the shards right before you use it to keep its form). I really hope this helps. I wish you good luck and I hope you guys enjoy the cake!

Hi Chami! You can definitely make it ahead. Cover the cake completely with cling wrap then freeze it (I usually freeze it for up to 2-3 weeks). Thaw covered at room temperature before frosting. Alternately, you can refrigerate the cake by itself, or with its frosting for up to 3 days. Covering it completely prevents the outside from drying up. Good luck!

I just made this! So yummy! It is an easy recipe to follow. We need to make double the icing recipe next time. The icing is in perfect balance and not too sweet. This is definitely a keeper and I will be making again.